The cloud is another way of saying the internet but in this context it usually goes hand in hand with delivering a service over the internet. The cloud is where you can store all your data, all your files, music pictures and even your software so you can access it all from any computer or device, anywhere, at any time.

So what is the cloud changing and why is this so exciting?

Traditional banking vs internet banking

Gone are the days of waiting for your bank statement to arrive in the post or finding a local cashpoint to check your balance. Now you are able to log in to your bank account from anywhere in the world on any device that can access the internet.

For business this has sped up the whole process and has positive effect for cash flow, financial report and many more. Records can be kept up to date daily now rather than waiting for the bank statement to reconcile everything.

Traditional mail vs web mail

Communication has come a long way since telegrams but for years we relied on the Royal Mail to deliver letters and correspondence. Fax machines speeded this process up somewhat but with the internet explosion came email. Again available anywhere in the world from any device with an internet connection.

Now email is ubiquitous and is used to deliver almost all documentation there is almost no need to print anything anymore.

Traditional filing vs cloud storage

In the past if you wanted to work on something away from the office you would need to make a copy of the file then take it to another machine that hopefully had the same programme installed. Once you had worked on the file it then had to be taken back into the office and updated on the other machine. All this backwards and forwards often lead to corrupt, or even lost files. You may be seeing a theme here but again your files are available anywhere in the world from any device with an internet connection.

Gone are the days of the floppy disk, CD-ROMs and, to some extent, flash drive for making files portable and accessible we have google drive, drop box and box.net.

Traditional shopping vs online shopping

Shopping will never be the same again, whether you use the internet to browse and compare products or to make purchases, you are able browse and shop 24-7 from anywhere in the world from any device with an internet connection.

The flood gates are open and internet shopping is here to stay.

Bookkeeping in the cloud?

If you are using traditional desktop software, your data lives on your computer or laptop. This means it’s only available at limited times and on limited devices – and often to a limited number of people. With cloud software, your data lives online, so it’s always accessible from anywhere at any time you have an internet connection. Good cloud software will also let an unlimited number of people use it at the same time.

The cloud will set you free

As you can see, one of the biggest benefits of cloud computing is that it lets you get at your data anytime, anywhere. The cloud sets you free breaking the chain between your office computer and your business information.

It`s no problem accessing your bank account while you’re on the move. You can buy office supplies while you’re on the train. Doesn’t it make sense to be able to update your accounts while you’re out of the office?

Take advantage of cloud technology and there’s no need to keep all your files and applications on a single computer, you can forget about backups, theft, data loss, support and upgrades. It’s all taken care of by dedicated teams of technical people.

The cloud takes the stress out of keeping your data safe and up to date. One day everything will be done using the cloud and using a desk top system will be as strange as someone using the telegrams today.